Means for locking printing-plates.



No. 794,959. PATENTED JULY 18, 1905. A. 0. TAYLOR & P. A. HAOKETT.

MEANS FOR LOOKING PRINTING PLATES.

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No. 794,959. PATENTED JULY18,1905. A. 0. TAYLOR 9 F. A. HACKBTT.

MEANS FOR LOOKING PRINTING PLATES. APPLICATION FILED MAY17.1904.

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Q/VL 1409909- t 2 $79 71 11 11 low 7/ l I I a $515M UHOLMQIJ ATLATM M /MM UNITED STATES Patented July 18, 1905.

PATENT OEEicE.

ARTHUR o. TAYLOR,

OF BROOKLYN, AND FREDERICK 'A. HAOKETT, OF

RICHMOND HILLS, NEW YORK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 794,959, dated July 18, 1905.

Application filed May 17. 1904. Serial No.208A02.

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that we, ARTHUR O. TAYLOR, a resident of the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, city of New York, and FREDERICK A. HACKETT, a resident of Richmond Hills, in the county of Queens, State of New York, citizens of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for LockingPrinting-Plates, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improved means for lockingand holding an electrotype or other printing plate securely on the printing-block, the more important objects being to attain a highly positive and direct locking action, facilitate the clamping and unclamping of the printing-plate, and also permit the attendant to readily adjust the plate and bring it in perfect register without unlocking the form. \V e attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a frame and block within the same and showing the general disposition of our locking devices. Fig. 2 is a side view of the locking device in position on the bolt. Fig. 3 is a detail view showing the means for locking the lever when pressed down. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the clamping-nut. Fig. 5 is a side view of the lever. Fig. 6 is an end view of the clampingnut and metallic facing on block.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The printing-block A (shown in Fig. 1) has a body of wood or metal inclosed within a metallic casing (L2, the surface of the block being provided with dovetailed ways, in which the clamping-nuts B, correspondingly dovetailed, are adapted to slide. (See Fig. 6.) These nuts are each provided on the top with a clampingbar B to engage the edge of the printingplate and hold it in position when acted on by the lever-locking device. A bolt O, provided with threads 6 and diametrically-located plane sides I), (see Fig. 5,) is adapted to pass through the locking-nut, which is correspondingly arranged and is provided at its outer end with a lever. This lever E is cut out of sheet-steel or any suitable metal and folded to make a compressible lever having a lip (t on the outer fold, turned horizontally outward, and a lower ear c on the under fold, turned horizontally inward, so that when the lever is turned the lip a will rest on the side of the frame and make a convenient means for raising the lever with the finger. The inner metal edge of the block A being of thin metal is slitted and bent outward to form aspring-tongue 0, beneath which the ear to becomes engaged to retain the lever in locked position. A spring (Z is arranged to bear on the bolt and prevent rattling when the threads are disengaged. The nuts are also provided on top with springs d, suitably arranged to raise the plate when released, as shown in Fig. 2.

WVhen used, each clamping-bar B is pushed up against the plate in proper position, when the mutilated parts of the threads on the bolt O and nut B are in proper position for the free movement of the nut on the bolt. When said clamping-bar B is so adjusted to the plate, the lever E pertaining to the particular clamping-bar is rotated through a quarterturn, so as to bring the threads on the screw bolt and nut into engagement, and thereby hold the clamping-bar against the plate. ln the event of the threads on the bolt not coinciding-exactly with the threads in the nut the beveled edges of the clamping-bar and plate, together with the soft character of the metal of the latter, will permit sufficient pressure to be exerted on the clamp by hand to secure such thread engagement, whereupon the lever E can be swung down, as explained.

It will be readily understood that our platelocking device is more positive and direct than the ratchet-wheel device now in use and facilitates the action of clamping and unclamping the printing-plate and also enables the printer to readily adjust the plates and bring them in perfect register without unlocking the form.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1; The combination with a plate-holder, of a plate-locking device comprising a metal lever embodying folds to form a compressible lever and provided with an upper lip turned outward and an ear turned inward, a screwthreaded bolt on one end of which said lever is mounted, and a correspondingly-threaded screw-threaded clamping-nut through which the bolt passes.

2. The combination with a plate-holder, of a plate-locking device comprising a screwthreaded bolt, a nut containing a corresponds ingly-threaded bolt-passage and provided on its upper side with a lip to engage the plate, a lever mounted on one end of the bolt, and a spring for retaining the lever when moved to a locking position.

3. The combination with a platesholder, of a plate-locking device provided with a spring to slightly raise the edge of the plate when 20 disengaged.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 2d day of May, A. D. 1904.

ARTHUR O. TAYLOR. FREDERICK A. HACKETT.

Witnesses:

CHARLES L. VVoLF, M. BENDER. 

